Jazz!

I've never really been too keen on jazz, but because I love to try new things I thought a free festival featuring diverse artists from all over the world may be a nice way to spend the evening. Yes, it was a good decision. Hosted by the city of Buenos Aires with exhibitions throughout the city, we attended one of the many events held at the Recoleta Cultural Center.

I was shocked upon entering the venue. I pass this cultural center on a daily basis when bringing tour groups to the Recoleta Cemetary but I had never actually been inside. Not only is it tremendously larger than I anticipated, there are a number of halls, surrounding a beautifully painted courtyard, used for all kinds of artwork. After wandering through the many exhibitions, we found a comfy spot on the floor next to a stage featuring an American jazz group led by a woman with a deep and enticing voice. Their set lasted about an hour and I found myself completely relaxed. Outside, the temperature was perfect, watching the birds fly over, and absorbing the calm vibe from the rest of the crowd... satisfied. xo (Some of my favorite pieces are pictured here)

Just Another Manic Monday

With this Bangles tune playing over and over in my head, I've finally found the inspiration to write a long over due post about a day spent in the 3 de Febrero Park en Las Bosques de Palermo.

Mondays are a special day for most. Usually when all of the unattended issues from the previous Friday come crashing down and you think, great, here's to the start of another hellish workweek . But for Kristin and I, our 'demanding' schedule often lends to a day of relaxed exploration after a long weekend of late nights. On this particular Monday we decided to check out the recently blooming rose gardens of the famous Rosedal. With over 12.000 different kinds of roses from all over the world, we knew it to be the perfect spot to capture photos, people watch, and smell the flowers. But like all Mondays, a fact that we conveniently forgot, the gardens, along with the nature reserve and most museums, are closed. Upon arriving and discovering this inconvenient truth, we decided to take a stroll around the park instead. Oh the

sights we saw...

From top left: 1) Sunbathing is common in public places. Men, women, old, young, fit, and not so fit. 2) A lovely carriage ride around the lake 3) How bout a nap on the bench? 4) Family bicycle cars. Highly popular on the busy weekends 5) Paddle boats or maybe a loaned city bike for a spin in the sunshine. These baby-grass green bikes are available to residents for 2 hours, free of charge, and can be returned to any of the many kiosks located around the city 6) And assisted stretching for anyone who may need a hand after this busy day of park activities

Unfortunately it is impossible to capture on film the environment that exists in this park on a busy day or evening. Not from the city, I'm clearly not accustomed to some of the urban practices, but this park still amazes me. From rollerbladers (and I'm talking full on protective gear, figure skating style, or hard core speed skaters) to thong clad sunbathers to entire family BBQs, this place is a people watching utopia! xo

El Gran Teatro Colon

Approaching the building on a warm spring night you may notice the incredible purple jacarandas watching over the hundreds of guests making their way to the main entrance. The majority, elegantly dressed in black, appear to be seasoned theater goers, but it wont take long to recognize the various languages in conversation: French, English, Portuguese. Because El Teatro Colon is not only a national cultural symbol, but a world renowned opera venue (Top five: Milan, Vienna, Dresden, Paris, Buenos Aires) visitors travel long distances to hear the impressive acoustics.

But Kristin and I weren't there for the opera. We instead elected a ballet by the name of Manon. Brought back to the Colon by popular demand after the 2010 season, we quickly understood why. Elegant costumes, grand scenes and very dramatic dancing made the tragic French love story an exciting way to spend a few hours. We opted to 'go all out' and buy the most expensive tickets: 200 pesos or about 50 USD. Being my first ballet as well as my first trip the theater in Argentina, I knew the price wouldn't even matter. And it didn't! We sat in the first level balconies with 4 other foreigners and after a little seat tweaking we all fit nice and snug, but with very good views. We were even able to snap a few decent no flash 'illegal' photos!

Between acts (there were three for a total of two picture breaks), we rushed out into the lobby to snap photos of ourselves in what we considered to be some of the most elegant spots. The grand staircase on the left being one such place. It was almost as if we were little girls again! After watching the ballerinas we wanted to float up and down the stairs, twirl in our pretty dresses and pose as though we were fancy ladies from an earlier time. Like the fairytale on stage, I felt like I was in one of my own. The overwhelming sense of luxury that was once displayed by the elite class during their most exclusive parties continues to echo in the halls. Ahhhhh... This is the life. xo

Urban Art

Since becoming a member of the Biking Buenos Aires team, I have heard many stories about the incredible tour we offer every Sunday afternoon. Not your conventional tourist day trip around the city, we have teamed upwith the local Graffiti Mundo offering bicycle tours to some of the best displays of urban art inBuenos Aires. Finally, this past Sunday I found the time to take the tour. One word: INCREÍBLE!!!!

The difference between your average 'tagging' or even graffiti in other cities is that in BA, unless someone calls the police with intentions of pressing charges for defacing, an artist working on the wall of a building is completely legal. There are absolutely no criminal charges for painting during broad daylight, unless someone complains. Not only does this allow artists time to complete their work, but this also prevents the incrimination of young kids attempting to make their mark on the street art community. They are given the freedom to develop as artists, which you see all throughout the tour. Many of the pieces are done by locals who began painting in their teens and have been supported by tolerant communities, blossoming into incredibly talented individuals.

We passed through neighborhoods that I had not yet had the chance to visit, nor would you see as a tourist. My favorite story is about a well known bus station surrounded by art. A local artisit approached the manager, asked to paint the blank walls and was turned down. His mother, infuriated by the disrespect shown for her teenage son's talent, returned to the station and demanded that he be given the chance to improve the image of the community and liven up the terribly barren 3 meter tall walls. She must have been convincing because they conceded. What you see now is a full city block of various styles, artists, and techniques.

Other fun facts: There exists no gang mentality incorporated with urban artists in Buenos Aires; There developed a unique technique of mixing tar with petrol to create a very cheap 'paint' during the economic crisis (Seen in the two bears outside the bus station); Many homeowners ask artists to paint the outside of their home either with requests as to the content or left to the artist's discretion; And the tour ends at a bar covered, floor to ceiling with overlapping pieces from various painters. Modern art comes in all shapes and sizes. Consider a graffiti tour during your visit! xo

¡Vive Christina! (and Nestor too)

Two Sundays ago Argentina held the much awaited presidential election. Anticipation brewed the week before: By how much will Christina win? Nobody doubted that the reigning Presidenta Christina Fernández would be re-elected, but by how much was the real debate. Turns out, by a landslide. She took 53.96% of the votes with the closest candidate at a fraction of that amount. Many say it was due to a lack of organized competition, her success among the poor, rural communities, and of course because the love that many people still have for her husband and former president, the deceased Nestor Kirchner. The latter being an obvious campaigning tool used by Frente para la Victoria party in posters littering every open space featuring Nestor and his wife, Christina at his side. Almost as if he were running, not the actual President herself.

The post win celebration, announced just a couple of hours after the polls closed, was quite the event. We passed by the hotel at which the President was staying and filmed some of the most passionate supporters on our way to Plaza de Mayo where everyone was decked out in Christina gear, listening to blaring music, shooting fireworks, and of course drinking beer. From 6 o'clock the night before a 'dry' mandate required that no alcohol be sold or consumed in public spaces, bars, or liquor stores, but the moment those polls closed, it was right back to normal. We spent about an hour wandering the plaza, climbing ladders for better angles, and taking in the atmosphere, very similar to a celebration we may see in the states after elections. Our friend Chris was even interviewed by a radio station curious as to how these elections differ from those in the US. The biggest difference? A compulsory vote. That's right. Argentinians are required to vote, being charged a fine if any of the squares in their identity card is missing the official stamp. I'm still hesitant to be convinced that this is an effective measure in a democratic society, but most locals I've spoken with fully believe in the voting system. If only they could get some variety in their presidential candidate options!

For those of you more curious about me than Christina, I can say that the past couple of weeks have been...eventful. Kristin and I spent a few days in the 'mansion' but left after the vacationers decided not to stay in our apartment. After being shoved into a shared room in the attic of a big beautiful house, losing a bag during the bustle, having some crazy conversations and uncomfortable run ins with the landlord, we were definitely ready to come 'home'. Because that's what it has become. Our little pad dubbed 'La Morena' has been more than a place to rest our sleepy adventure filled heads. Other than the missing bag, I really couldn't be happier! xo

The Streets

One of the most fascinating and entertaining things about moving to a new city are the simple pleasures found when exploring the foreign streets. Just yesterday, Kristin and I were reflecting on the pride we feel when each day we take a different form of transportation (bus, subway, taxi, bike, on foot) to a new part of Buenos Aires. Therefore, we have had no lack of quirky discoveries. And the avid bloggers that we are, we never neglect to bring along our cameras which have served very useful when stumbling across things like dog walkers with over 20 dogs, street signs signaling an old-woman-lugging-groceries-home crossing, and meat trucks publicly exposing their goods.

Another common occurrence are protests held in the plazas and streets just blocks from our apartment.They often create huge traffic jams and are attended by people from all different walks of life. One ongoing march is by teachers whowant to maintain their benefits: One day for the last two weeks, two days for this week and next, and three days for the following two if they are unsatisfied. And we thought the French were bad! Plaza Congreso and Plaza de Mayo are home to some of the most politically charged buildings: Congress, the President's office (who happens to be a female!), IRS building, Federal Bank, pretty much every important government sector. Along with the Mothers of the Disappeared who march every Thursday afternoon in Plaza de Mayo to represent the almost 30,000 individuals who went 'missing' on account of the dirty war during the military dictatorship of the late 70s early 80s, there are countless impromptu and planned events. We stumble across several a week and following is a pic of the aftermath. Plenty to clean!

A few more adventures: The only skate park I've seen is placed directly next to the American embassy and is a rather disappointing display of cement and graffiti.

AND Successful-business-man-gleefully-swinging-a-briefcase-as-he-skips crossing?

Lastly, a pleasant and abnormally uncrowded ride on our preferred form of city transport, the antique trolley car subway. Buenos Aires is home to the first underground system in the Southern Hemisphere and is one of the busiest metros in the world. The A Line of the Subte system consists of many renovated trolley cars that used to run through the cobbled streets of Buenos Aires. The historic rails seen throughout San Telmo (a bikers enemy, as I discovered after crashing to the ground when one got in my way), along with the A line are reminders of a shift toward modernity, but with a hint of nostalgia.